Recruiting bigs

[huskiesnyc]

I think it's pretty clear we need to forget about banking a scholarship and go after another big man for next fall. Lubin just isn't enough. I'm not asking for even a 4 star big guy, just a tough nosed JUCO to bridge the gap for one year.

 

[huskiesnyc]

And before anyone says we don't have room for another player next year you are wrong. When rebounding is as atrocious as ours is this year you MAKE ROOM.

 

[ZackB05]

I completely agree. There must be some 6'10" juco player or fifth year graduate player who can contribute something immediately.

 

[CTBasketball]

What big man would want to come to UConn and see that our bigs don't improve? We need a bigs coach first that gets the job done.

 

[tcf15]

Not that it means anything, but let's take a look at what's available: http://stats.njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/2013-14/div1/players?pos=bc&sort=trebpg

Top 5 rebounders in the JUCO ranks:
1. Ernest Maize- 16.2 per game (6'7", 208)
2. Jovany Austin- 14.2 per game - http://www.austinweeklynews.com/Com...cago-student-athletes-receive-national-award/
3. Kevin Mays- 13.8 per game (6'5", 220)
4. Daniel Mulamba- 13.7 per game (Committed to CSU)
5. Shane Henry- 13.6 per game (6'8", 180) - http://depts.gpc.edu/athletic/mbball/mbbios.html#.UsoZh3laFN0

 

[huskiesnyc]

Not that it means anything, but let's take a look at what's available: http://stats.njcaa.org/sports/mbkb/2013-14/div1/players?pos=bc&sort=trebpg

Top 5 rebounders in the JUCO ranks:
1. Ernest Maize- 16.2 per game (6'7", 208)
2. Jovany Austin- 14.2 per game - http://www.austinweeklynews.com/Com...cago-student-athletes-receive-national-award/
3. Kevin Mays- 13.8 per game (6'5", 220)
4. Daniel Mulamba- 13.7 per game (Committed to CSU)
5. Shane Henry- 13.6 per game (6'8", 180) - http://depts.gpc.edu/athletic/mbball/mbbios.html#.UsoZh3laFN0

Sign me up for this Ernest Maize guy

 

[jibsey]

I wonder if KO and staff could have anticipated this deficiency down low or were they just hoping and wishing. The Wolf situation now seems a bigger deal than it was at the time, because I really didn't think we would miss him that much.

 

[donyell34]

Our need for a big is well known among recruits and immediate playing time is right there. Uconn, Ollie should be an attractive deal . Watching other top teams you can plainly see the size and muscle and scoring they provide. Rock will help but we need more than him. I believe we will get somebody real good soon.

 

[mauconnfan]

What big man would want to come to UConn and see that our bigs don't improve? We need a bigs coach first that gets the job done.

Phil Nolan has improved - he was a forward in HS and probably never played with his back to the basket hardly………he's thin and gets batted around but he's noticeably bigger considering.

Amidah Brimah - He's been playing for 4 years so his improvement will need patience, NOT a big mans coach. He needs to learn when to look for the ball, where to position himself on defense, get stronger, read rebounds - this isn't anything that will happen over night…….

Tyler Olander - on him not the coaches, if Tyler wanted to be a lot better he would have been working out with people who made his footwork better, faster over the summer instead of singing rap music…..he's really limited but he has gotten stronger and he is what he is………no "big mans" coach would make him better Tyler needed to do that.

If you guys don't think that repetitive low block work was done one-on-one with each of these guys whenever humanly possible with Ollie, Miller, Hobbs, Moore and even KFree when it's legal time then you're missing the boat.. You don't have to be 6'10 to teach a kid something……….Clyde Vaughns name comes up all the time and he was pushing 6'4" anyway……….this is work work work if you want to be more than who you are. Repetitive low post moves until it becomes natural…..and you have to have the talent to play the position.

Patience for some, more talent, strength infused for future. Not a new coach…….

 

[Fairfield_1st]

Phil Nolan has improved - he was a forward in HS and probably never played with his back to the basket hardly

Amidah Brimah - He's been playing for 4 years so his improvement will need patience, NOT a big mans coach. He needs to learn when to look for the ball, where to position himself on defense, get stronger, read rebounds - this isn't anything that will happen over night…….

I would think both of these could learn from a big's coach. Nolan, if he hasn't played with his back to the basket could benefit from the experience of a former center or back to the basket power forward. For Brimah, patience alone will not do it. I agree we need patience, but you want to instill good habits that he can develop. I don't want him left to figuring it out by himself.

 

[jibsey]

I don't buy this big man coach stuff. We have 12 coaches (and coach calhoun looking on) on the sidelines with eeons of experience and they don't know how to teach basic positioning and blocking out or a simple back to the basket pivot? Ludicrous. Brimah OK, needs experience but Olander's 4th year Nolan's 3rd and even as bench players they've been in practice forever. The talent is just not there for them.

 

[mauconnfan]

I don't buy this big man coach stuff. We have 12 coaches (and coach calhoun looking on) on the sidelines with eeons of experience and they don't know how to teach basic positioning and blocking out or a simple back to the basket pivot? Ludicrous. Brimah OK, needs experience but Olander's 4th year Nolan's 3rd and even as bench players they've been in practice forever. The talent is just not there for them.

Yep exactly. What did teams do to prepare for UConn and Thabeet when he was owning the paint on defense…….did they bring in Mutombo, Ewing and Jabaar? no they used brooms…….the thought of need to have a "big" coach is absurd. Some of these coaches can probably coach the low block better than some of the very good ex-players could coach it……just because they did doesn't mean they can coach it.

 

[pj]

I was only 6'1" but I played PF on intramural teams because my perimeter game sucked. Over time I picked up a lot of tricks and skills that kept me competitive against bigger players. Smaller guys who have experience playing down low may be the best coaches for big men. Of course, smaller guys who never played down low may be the worst coaches.

Obviously, KO thought he was putting together the best staff for a whole team. He knows his coaches and believes they can coach big men. I hope recruits believe it too.

 

[CTBasketball]

Phil Nolan has improved - he was a forward in HS and probably never played with his back to the basket hardly………he's thin and gets batted around but he's noticeably bigger considering.

Amidah Brimah - He's been playing for 4 years so his improvement will need patience, NOT a big mans coach. He needs to learn when to look for the ball, where to position himself on defense, get stronger, read rebounds - this isn't anything that will happen over night…….

Tyler Olander - on him not the coaches, if Tyler wanted to be a lot better he would have been working out with people who made his footwork better, faster over the summer instead of singing rap music…..he's really limited but he has gotten stronger and he is what he is………no "big mans" coach would make him better Tyler needed to do that.

If you guys don't think that repetitive low block work was done one-on-one with each of these guys whenever humanly possible with Ollie, Miller, Hobbs, Moore and even KFree when it's legal time then you're missing the boat.. You don't have to be 6'10 to teach a kid something……….Clyde Vaughns name comes up all the time and he was pushing 6'4" anyway……….this is work work work if you want to be more than who you are. Repetitive low post moves until it becomes natural…..and you have to have the talent to play the position.

Patience for some, more talent, strength infused for future. Not a new coach…….

I agree Mau but if you were a HS C/PF recruit, you would want to see how UConn's bigs develop and how good of a chance they have at the NBA. Since we don't see that and we're still getting killed on the boards, it might turn potential recruits away. But on the other hand, it might attract recruits who want to play a lot. Either way, I'm tired and stressed out. Hopefully we win the Harvard game.

 

[jibsey]

Even with what has gone on in conference our season is very much in play, we still have loads of talent on this team, it's just been jarring to have this happen after all the AAC Conference bashing that has gone on. Is it possible that this could be an up and coming conference with rising talent and hoop powers? That's what I'm hypnotizing myself to believe.

 

[mauconnfan]

I agree Mau but if you were a HS C/PF recruit, you would want to see how UConn's bigs develop and how good of a chance they have at the NBA. Since we don't see that and we're still getting killed on the boards, it might turn potential recruits away. But on the other hand, it might attract recruits who want to play a lot. Either way, I'm tired and stressed out. Hopefully we win the Harvard game.

I hear ya, we all need a W and about 11 rebounds from the 5 spot LOL………recruits are so weird who knows how they think any more anyway right? Hopefully the bigs we recruit like "donuts"….

 

[CTBasketball]

I hear ya, we all need a W and about 11 rebounds from the 5 spot LOL………recruits are so weird who knows how they think any more anyway right? Hopefully the bigs we recruit like "donuts"….

We should put the bigs on a strictly donuts, pizza, cheeseburgers, and taco diet.

 

[mauconnfan]

Sam Adams and steaks, baked potatoes and cheesecake…………

No donuts they have created one huge one already, no more!

 

[jibsey]

We should put the bigs on a strictly donuts, pizza, cheeseburgers, and taco diet.

18-22 year old metabolism, long a go that's what I ate nearly every day and night without gaining a pound..... do it now and go straight to Biggest Loser.

 

[donyell34]

Some really good big man should be able to see and know are needs. He should feel like he's coming in as a savoir or something. He's out there somebody will want us. We are not some ugly duckling sitting in the corner.